Residential Care vs Live-In Care

At Bluebird Care, we are specialists in providing high-quality, tailor-made home care and live-in care to our customers, allowing them to remain in the comfort of their own homes.

We believe in Live-in care

We’ve seen how our customers who have received support and help from our live-in care team have thrived. We’ve watched as our care assistants have helped our customers to rekindle their passions. We’ve noticed how much happier our customers have become thanks to our live-in care service. That’s why we believe in the power of home care. 

What’s the difference between Live-in care and residential care? 

When it comes to needing a helping hand in managing daily life, there are two main care options for older adults: residential or home care (live-in care). While there are some key differences between each option, the fundamentals are the same: both residential care and home care offer long-term, 24/7 care from care specialists. However, the approaches are completely different. 

Residential care refers to care provided in a residential facility, where the person leaves the comfort of their home and moves to a specialist care home facility. People living in residential care facilities have their own bedrooms but share all other facilities and live in a communal way. These facilities tend to focus on physical care, rather than focusing on wellbeing and emotional health. Whereas, at Bluebird Care, we take the mental wellbeing of our customers extremely seriously, making it a priority. 

Live-in care is where the person is able to stay in the comfort of their own home and a care professional moves into their home to provide ongoing care on a 24/7 basis. At Bluebird Care, we have a dedicated live-in Care team and hub, who focus on managing our live-in customers’ care and needs, ensuring that they receive the very highest levels of care. 

Each and every one of our live-in care assistants is kind, caring and friendly; they’re the kind of people who always go above and beyond. 

What it is it about live-in home care that is so beneficial?

At Bluebird Care, our team of live-in care assistants are qualified professionals who are in a position to offer a combination of high-quality care and support to each and every customer. Our live-in care assistants might be care professionals first and foremost, but they can also act as fantastic companions for older adults living alone. 

Our team of live-in care assistants always endeavour to go above and beyond; their role isn’t just about providing care and support, it’s about making deep and meaningful connections with our customers and understanding what it is that makes them happy and content. Care is a big part of what we offer, but it’s not the only part of our live-in care service.

Take our live-in care assistant Frances, for instance, her customer Jim has always loved to sail, and so Frances arranges days out and trips for her and Jim that are related to Jim’s love of the sea. Earlier this year, they visited a boatyard where Jim used to take his own boat back when he sailed. More recently, they took a trip on the Exmouth to Starcross Ferry, which Jim absolutely loved. 

For our live-in care assistants, it’s not just about providing care, it’s about connecting with the person receiving the care. While some of our carers arrange days out for customers, others plan fun and interesting activities for them to take part in. 

Recently, some of our care assistants learned that a customer used to love to paint and draw, and so they chose to treat her to a new colouring book and some art and craft materials. 

Live-in care vs. care home care: why is Live-in care a better choice? 

Live-in care offers: 

• 24/7 care and support
• No need to leave the comfort of your home 
• Supported independence 
• No need to say goodbye to beloved pets 
• Ongoing companionship 
• Enabling couples to stay together 

Whereas residential care means: 

Need to leave the comfort of home and move to somewhere new causing stress and upset 
Restricted independence 
Lack of focus on individual wellness needs

Making the right choice for you 

A lot of older adults - or their families - find themselves struggling to decide on the type of care that’s needed, and whether home care or moving to a care home would be the best choice to make. 

At Bluebird Care, we believe that home care is the best option in most cases, as it allows the individual to remain in their home where they feel safe and comfortable while receiving high-quality levels of care. 

Live-in care offers the opportunity of receiving one-to-one care within your own home. It means not having to worry about parting with your home, belongings or pets. It gives you the opportunity to retain your independence and stay in control of the care that you’re receiving.